Apparatus for separating metals and metal alloys



- May 26, 1936. 2,041,844

APPARATUS kFOR SEPARAT'ING METALS AND IVIIlTlLI ALLOYS K. A. LINDNER 3 sheets-sheet 1 Y Filed March 10,*1934 INVENTQR 'd/Z [maker BY /Qm ATTORNE May 26, 1936. K, A', L|NDNER 2,041,844

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METALS AND METAL ALLoYs Filed Mrch 1o, 1934 s sheets-sheet 2 3 Sheets-Sheet' ,1936. K. A. LINDNER APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METALS AND METAL ALLOYS Filed March 10-, 1934 w, YI*

l atented yMay 26, 1936 APPARATUS Fon sEPAnATnvG METALS AND METAL ALLoYs Karl A. Lindner, Roselle Park, N. J., assignor to American Smelting and Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 10,

1934, serial No. 714,957

claims. (el. zama This invention relates to apparatus for separating and recovering metal values.'

The invention is particularly directed to structure and 'methods suitable for the continuous 5 separation of lower melting metals and alloys from higher melting materials. Apparatus constructed according to the invention may accordinglybe adapted to the reclamation of tin, lead,

solder 'and other low melting coatings or binders from associated higher melting metals and alloys in scrap materials. It may be utilized, for example, for effecting the recovery of solder fromv scrappedl radiators of internal vcombustion engines or the removal'of lead coverings from wire cables and the like. 'Ihe furnace' may be arranged to. heat the materials under controlled conditions to melt the low melting'ymetals and alloys without excessive oxidation or the formation of dross.

vIn accordance with the invention, a continuous process sweating [furnace is preferably pro.

vided with a sloping chute or hearthmade up "of .a plurality of hearth pans, associated driving mechanism being arranged to cause motion or Vagitation of the hearth pans in a predetermined manner. lThis mechanism may lpreferably im part to the hearth pans a longitudinal reciprocating motion together with a jarring or'thumping'action to work"the material being treated' through the heated' furnace and simultaneously 'dislodge and separate-the low melting metals and alloys from the higher melting materials.- Devices may likewise be provided, if desired, to impart an individual rocking or. bouncing action ,to each hearth pan. l I

The invention also consists in certain-new and original features of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel 'features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appendedA hereto, the invention itself; as to 'its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by-referl nection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which' l .i Fig.-1 is a sectional plan view of a. furnace' and associated apparatus taken on the line` I-l of me. s: 1 e

Fig 2 is a 4 line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an end section taken on the line 3- ring to the following description taken in con sectional elevation Itaken on the Fig.V 4 an enlarged sectional elevation of part of the hearth structure;

Fig. 5 is an end section of the hearth structure taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an end section taken on the line 6--6 5 of Fig. 4.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the furnace is constructed to effect an ef- 10 i flcient utilizationof heat due to control 4of the rate vof heating, the method of circulating the hot furnace gases and the insulated character of the furnace walls.` The walls may be of fire brick which is covered on the outside with a 15 y heat insulating material such as magnesia brick or cement 2.. T he floor/3 may be bulltup of several layers of brick. The roof Lmay be formed of successive layers of fire brick, magnesia and insulating cement. 20 One end-wall of the furnace is provided withay pair of feed or intake openings 5 and the opposite endwith a pair of dischargel openings 6 ata lower level than the feed' openings. A pair of hearth structures il and l2, placed side by side, 2s extend between the intake anddischarge open- Vings and serve to convey'the materials to be treated through thefurnace. The feed and discharge 'openings are provided with swinging inlet and outlet doors 5a and 6a respectively. These 30 doors are hinged along the .upper edges of the l openings whereby material passing down the hearth will temporarily raise them while entering .or leaving the furnace but the openings will y be' closed the remainder of the time.

Extending lengthwise of the furnace chamber I are two combustion chambers 1 and 8 resting on the floor thereof'.l These are equipped with suitable burners la and 8a, respectively, which are adapted'to burn oil, gas, pulverized coal or the 40 like. The chambers may, however, be constructed' to burn other formsof fuel if desired. Thel lburners are preferably located at the ends of the combustion chambers nearest the discharge end of the furnace. Several vents or openings 9 arev distributed along the side walls of the combustion chambers to permit the hot combustion gases to escape into the 'furnace chamber. A` stack in rises from the roof tl of the furnace near the feed end for carrying away the usedcombustion gases. Standard automatic control devices are preferably associated withthe furnace to regulate the X combustion to maintain the required degree of' heat and to regulate the chemical composition of ings.

the combustion gases to prevent oxidation and dross formation.

As hearths II and I2 are identical in construction, hearth I2, only, Iwill be described in detail. This hearth comprises a pair of I-beams 22 with the lower flangesl cut away at the feed and discharge ends to provide narrower portions which extend through the feed and discharge open- Angle irons 23 are clamped to the web portions of the beams where they are cut away to strengthen the projecting ends thereof. The ends 'of the beams projecting from the furnace at the feed and discharge ends rest on rollers I3 and I4, respectively, which are journalled on supporting frames 35 and 36, respectively, outside the furnace. I-beams 22 are provided with suitable lwater` jackets 24 through which cooling water may be circulated for cooling these beams'.

` to the hearth frame structure.

Mounted at the upper end of the hearth structure is a channel shapedA feeder pan 25 extending through the feed or input opening '5 and mounted at the lower end is a channel shaped .discharge panl 26 extending Jthrough the discharge opening 6, A plurality of channel shaped hearth pans 21, having-bottom perforations 21a, are individually mounted to' rock on rocker shaft A mountings 28 extending between I-beams 22. The pans 21 are mounted in cascade and are so disposed with relation to each other as to provide a substantial drop between successive pans. The feed and discharge pans, "and the perforated hearth pans thereby form a channel or chute sloping downwardly from the feed to the discharge opening of the'furnace.

Steel framework 35 outside the furnace at the feed end supports fa driving mechanism comprising motor I5, speed reducers I6, drive chain I1, drive shaft I8 `carrying a sprocket wheel I8 and an eccentric sheave 20. A` reciprocating connecting rod 2| is journalled to 'sheave 20 by strap 20a and is connected a't its other end by means of a crank pin to a connecting bracket 32 secured Also attached to the connecting bracket 32 are rubber bumpers 33 adapted to strike a bumper plate 34 attached to the supporting framework ,35;

Means for rocking the hearth pans 21 on their rocker shaft mountings 28 are provided and comprise a pair of rods 29 attached to supporting `framework 36 at the discharge end of the furmace and extending up through the furnace along the sides of the hearth pans. Near the lower end of. each f said pans are a pair of bell lcrank levers 30 connected to rods 29 and mounted to rotate in mount-ings secured to I-beams 22. Each pair of bell crank levers carries a roller 3| which passes under the lower end of its respective hearth pan whereby rotation ofthe bell crank .lever will lift the lower end if Iits respective pan a small amount'to cause the pan to rock a small distance on its rocker mounting 28.

Collecting pans 4I and 42 for receiving the molten metals and alloys are suitably positioned below hearth structures II and I2 and aresupported by piers or extensions on 1Combustion chambers 1 and 8, respectively. These pans slopetoward one side of the furnace whereby any solder collected in pan 4I will drain into pan 42. 'Ihe moltenmetalsywill Abe drained therefrom by suitable spouts 43 mounted at intervals along the lower edge of pan 42 and feeding into suitable collecting receptacles 44 outside the furnace. i

In the operation of the furnace, the burners 1a and 8a in the combustion chambers 1 and 8 'are yleaving the furnace through stack I0. The driving motor I5 is started whereby the drive shaft I8 is caused to rotate imparting a reciprocating motion to connecting rod 2I by means of the eccentric 20.l A similar motion is imparted to another connecting rod associated with hearth II. 'Ihis motion is transmitted to the hearth structures II and I2 causing them to vibrate or reciprocate longitudinally throughout their length. At each rotation of the drive shaft, rubber bumpy ers 33 strike bumper plate 34 at the end of the 15 downward stroke of the hearths giving a sudden impact tothe hearths when they' .are in their. lowermost position. As the hearth structures are drawn 'to their highest position by connecting rods 2l, the bell crank levers 30 are rotated slightly by bell crank rods 29 causing rollers 3I to lift the lower ends of the hearth pans slightly. On the return stroke these pans are suddenly dropped by the bellcrank mechanism giving a vertical jarring or bouncing action in addition to the previously described: lateral motion and impacts.

Material to be treated, such as scrap internal combustion engine radiators,is placed on feeder vin the hearth pans and onto the solder collecting pans 4I and 42. At the same time the jarring action works the material down thehearth to the discharge end of the furnace.

The molten solder and low melting metals fall- 45 ing on collecting pans 4I and 42 are drained through discharge spout 43 and collected in collecting receptacles 44 outside the furnace.

Thus, by this invention a continuous and substantially complete separation ,and recovery of the low melting materials and alloys is obtained. The low melting materials are collected in a suitable form for reuse and the higher melting materials are continuously removed from the furnace after the separation. 1

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it willy be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled `in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: f

1. In an apparatus for separating lower melting metals and alloys from higher melting metals and alloys, a furnace, heating means associated therewith, an intake opening and a discharge opening in said furnace, a plurality of perforated hearth trays individually mounted on a common hearth structure forming a chute sloping downwardly from said intake to said discharge opening to A said trays-and a bumper associated with said link means.

2. In a sweating furnace for removing lower melting materials from higher melting materials, a chute comprising a series of hearth pans mounted in cascade and disposed relatively to each other to provide a substantial drop between successive pans, means for imparting longitudinal reciprocatory motion to said hearth pans, and means for imparting rocking motion thereto.

3. A sweating furnace comprising hearth sup-f porting beams extending through the heating chamber thereof, oscillatory mountings for said beams, a sloping hearth comprising a plurality of pans in cascade, said pans being mounted on individual rocker arms carried by said beams, means secured to a stationary frame and connecting said pans enabling the latter to be rocked when said beams are moved longitudinally and means for imparting reciprocatory, longitudinal movement to said beams. i

4. Apparatus for separating lower melting metals and alloys from associated higher melting materials which comprises a heating chamber, reciprocable means for conveying the said materials through the said chamber, mechanism for driving said reciprocable means, the said means including a sloping hearth comprising a plurality of individual hearth pans disposed so that each of the pans is adapted to receive materials directly from the preceding pan, the discharge end of one pan being spaced above the intake end of the adjacent 'pan so that the material will fall from one pan to the next as the material `passes along the pans thereby being subjected to shocks as the material passes along the hearth pans, supporting beams for the pans, mechanism mounted on the beams for individually rocking the respective pans for jarring the said materials as they pass along the pans, the said mechanism including rocker shafts extending between the beams and carrying the respective pans, bell cranks for the respective pans, the said bell cranks being rotat- 5 ably connected at their elbows with the said beams, one arm of the said bell cranks engaging the bottom of the vrespective pans, a rod extending along the pans and connected to the other arm of the bell cranks, a supporting frame at the discharge end of the furnace, and means connecting the rods to the frame, whereby upon actuation of the drive mechanism, a rocking movement is imparted to the bell cranks for rocking each of the said pans on its rocker shaft.

5. A sweating furnace comprising the combination with a heating chamber for receiving articles to be sweated, of hearth-supporting beams extending through the heating chamber in the direction of travel of articles to be sweated, a plurality of hearth pans supported on the beams and arranged so that the articles to be sweated drop from one hearth pan to the next in line, cooling jackets mounted on the beams and extending substantially the length thereof, roller mountings 25 for the beams positioned beneath the beams and enabling the beams, together with the cooling jackets and pans, to be longitudinally oscillated, mechanism secured to the beams for longitudinally reciprocating the same, together with the 30 pans, in the direction of travel of the articles for feeding articles to be sweated from one hearth pan to another through the heating chamber and a resilient bumper adapted to impart sharp irnpacts to the hearth when same is in its lower op- 35 erating position.

,KARL A. LINDNER. 

